Lenge Hong was born to a Scottish mother and a Chinese father and raised in Miami, Florida. Hong received a B.F.A. in film and video production from New York University, an M.F.A. in creative writing from the New School, and an M.L.S. from Pratt Institute, all located in New York City. She worked as a film researcher and as an archivist at the New York Historical Society in New York City.